TCU football notes: Patterson will analyze defense for 2015

TCU got big results from its philosophy change on offense. Now coach Gary Patterson may consider changes on defense, too.

It won’t be major — just a tweak or two.

“Defensively, there are some things we’re going to really analyze hard,” Patterson said. “We did it offensively this year, and defensively we’re going to look very hard at some things we need to to do to help ourselves in the coming season that I think some people are doing that can help us.”

Patterson hired two offensive coordinators, Doug Meacham and Sonny Cumbie, to take the Horned Frogs from a traditional attack to a no-huddle spread attack. They nearly doubled their yardage and point output, and Meacham is nominated for the Broyles assistant coach of the year award.

Defensively, the Horned Frogs lead the Big 12 in takeaways, tackles for loss, third-down defense and fewest first downs. But they are 92nd in the country in passing yards allowed and 45th in total defense. They have given up five plays of 70 yards or more.

“Anybody who is good at what they do is looking and saying, ‘We’re not real good at this,’ or, ‘We haven’t been as good as what we needed to be,’” Patterson said. “So how can we, with the players we have coming back next year, be what we want to be? How do you find the next tweak that can make a difference?”

Scouting Iowa State

Patterson is impressed with Iowa State on offense because the Cyclones will run “every form of option you can with a back and a quarterback,” and they scored 45 points on Texas, which Patterson believes has one of the best defenses in the conference.

Former recruit

Patterson remembers Iowa State’s leading rusher, Aaron Wimberly, committed to the Horned Frogs before switching back.

Patterson no doubt also remembers the reasons TCU recruited him.

“He’s very fast,” Patterson said. “He’s one of those guys that could be a slot receiver. Him and the Jarvis West kid, they’re both returners, so they can make you miss and take it to the house. They get him out of the backfield a lot, so we’ve got to make sure we pay a lot of attention to him with our linebackers. And some safeties.”

Wimberly has rushed for 569 yards and seven touchdowns.

Glad for Kill

Patterson said the Big Ten coach of the year award for Minnesota coach Jerry Kill, one of his closest friends in coaching, is “well deserved.”

“The guy’s in it for all the right reasons, and his teams play like that,” Patterson said. “They’re going to play hard, they’re not going to play to beat themselves, and they’ve done a great job of recruiting. We’ve got to go up and play them next year. I’m not real fired up about that.”

TCU defeated Minnesota 30-7 in Fort Worth on Sept. 13. The Horned Frogs open next season at Minnesota on Thursday, Sept. 3.

This story was originally published December 5, 2014 at 11:01 AM with the headline "TCU football notes: Patterson will analyze defense for 2015."